10/20/2026
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ & ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ! โ๏ธ๐ด
Blanketing season is here, and I think this is something worth talking about! I found this blanketing chart that I really liked and figured I would share it along with a few things to keep in mind when deciding what your horse needs.
Just throwing a blanket on your horse because it's cold outside doesn't always mean you're doing what's best for them!
๐๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐:
๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ญ! Horses naturally grow a winter coat that helps keep them warm. Their age, body condition, coat, health, shelter, and the weather all play a role.
๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ก! A sheet with no fill provides little to no insulation. It may protect from rain if it's waterproof, but it won't keep your horse warm like an insulated blanket will.
Blanket weight matters! Too heavy and your horse can overheat and sweat. Too light for the conditions and it may not provide enough warmth. There's no one-size-fits-all answer!
๐
๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐! A blanket that's too tight can rub shoulders, pinch at the withers, and cause sores. Too loose, and it can shift, rub, or become a safety hazard.
Here's where blankets can actually do more harm than good:
โข Overheating and sweating under a blanket.
โข Trapping moisture against the skin.
โข Flattening the winter coat and reducing its natural insulating ability.
โข Causing rubs, sores, and discomfort from poor fit
โข Creating safety risks if straps or blankets are damaged or poorly fitted.
๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐:
โ โIt's cold for me, so my horse must be cold.โ Not necessarily! Horses can tolerate cold differently than we do.
โ โOnce I blanket, I need to blanket all winter.โ Nope! Their needs change with the weather, coat, and conditions.
โ โMore layers mean warmer and better.โ Not always! Too much insulation can cause overheating.
๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐:
โ๏ธ Make sure your blanket is the right weight for YOUR horse and the weather.
โ๏ธ Use waterproof turnout blankets outside in wet weather.
โ๏ธ Put blankets on dry horses.
โ๏ธ Remove blankets daily to check for rubs, moisture, damage, and overheating.
โ๏ธ Adjust as temperatures change.
Just like everything else with horses, it's about knowing ๐๐๐๐ horse and what they need, not what everyone else at the barn is doing.
Blankets can be a great tool when used correctly, but they aren't automatically necessary for every horse.
๐ท๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐กโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐กโ๐๐? ๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ !
As the temperatures start dropping, we want to know how everyone else decides when itโs time to blanket their horse!
๐ก๏ธ What temperature do you start blanketing at?
Do you blanket based on:
โข Temperature alone?
โข Wind + rain?
โข Whether your horse is clipped?
โข Your horseโs age, body condition, or coat?
โข Or does your horse basically tell you when theyโre cold? ๐
